There it was, the widely circulated picture of the world’s most powerful rocket surrounded by plumes of smoke and steam, about to lift off into the unknown. For 48-year-old Lenzi and those in the older generation, the picture was more than just a rocket hurtling toward the asteroid belt. It was a symbol that, maybe, the U.S. is getting back the ambition it had during the 20th century space race.

“I finally might live to see people back on the moon again,” he said, sitting inside the museum’s observatory. “It’s hard to describe the enthrallment.”

Experts say Thursday’s launch of the Falcon Heavy rocket was a major milestone in space travel, especially given that a private company, rather than the government, was behind it. For people like Lenzi, the event was emotional — surreal, almost. Younger viewers could enjoy the images of a cherry-red Tesla with a “Starman” dummy in the driver’s seat, seemingly driving away from Earth.

“I saw some GIFs of (the launch) after,” said 15-year-old Abby Michals, who couldn’t watch in real time because she had a final exam.

Her 12-year-old brother, Joshua — and several other children in the museum Sunday — didn’t know it was happening until afterward. But after seeing the replays on YouTube, Joshua, who loves science, said it further sparked his interest in astronomy and space travel.

Photo: Nick Otto, Special To The Chronicle

Joel Mulholland-Beahrs, 3, of Berkeley touches a replica of Mars at Chabot Space and Science Center in Oakland.

Abby toyed with the idea that maybe in her lifetime, she could one day go to Mars — which Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, has dreamed of colonizing.

“I was like, ‘Heck, yeah, humanity,’” she said, of her reaction watching the video. “This is another step for us.”

While some students, from elementary school to college, have always been intrigued by space, Ward Hanson, a member of the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research, said he has seen renewed interest over the past few years.

Space travel “became real again, and wasn’t dependent on the whims of Congress,” said Hanson, who is part of a team of Stanford faculty creating a new undergraduate major called Aeronautics and Astronautics, to premiere in the fall.

The Falcon Heavy launch “reinforces the excitement about space for the people already involved, and made it much more top of mind for potential students,” he said.

That was the also the point for Musk. “I think it’s going to encourage other countries and companies to raise their sights and say, ‘Hey, we can do bigger and better,’ which is great,” he told reporters at a news conference. “We want a new space race. Races are exciting.”

Musk wants people to get excited about space exploration again — similar to the way 76-year-olds Judy Shaw and Kerna Trottier felt while watching the first landing on the moon during their 20s in 1969. They still remember exactly where they were.

Space in the Spotlight

“No one knew what was going to happen,” Shaw said. “But now there is so much expectation.”

Some youths at Chabot on Sunday had barely heard of the Falcon Heavy and Starman. For some in the younger generation, the “wow” factor isn’t quite as strong: People have been launching things into space over their entire lifetimes.

But Lenzi, in the museum’s observatory, said he hopes last week’s launch is the start of even more exploration by the U.S.